


Pumpkin Pie Pep-talk

by FractalDawn



Category: Milliways, Once Upon a Time (TV), Superman Returns (2006)
Genre: AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-28
Updated: 2012-07-28
Packaged: 2017-11-10 22:09:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/471231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FractalDawn/pseuds/FractalDawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Boys will be boys, different worlds, cursed royalty, and human-alien hybrids notwithstanding. A tale of the ComicBrooke Alliance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pumpkin Pie Pep-talk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ladyoflorien](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyoflorien/gifts).



> **Spoilers:** Through “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” (OUaT 1x07) and SR (post-movie universe)  
>  **Note:** Technically, this can't happen in the Bar as neither is in the Bar yet, and I play them both. It's an exercise in 'what if,' a pick-me-up gift. Thanks to Eric, Ashie, Sef, and July for beta.  
>  **Disclaimer:** Henry is from _Once Upon a Time,_ belonging to Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, and ABC. Jason is from _Superman Returns_ , belonging in various ways to Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, DC Comics; directed by Bryan Singer. Superman was originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Milliways was created by Douglas Adams.

They both liked plaid, they both liked pastries and pies, they both liked hot chocolate, they were both ten years old, their moms were forthright and more than a little intimidating, and their fathers had (if for different lengths of time) been missing. Jason felt a little bad about that, sometimes—but Henry never seemed to mind too much. And that much, at least, he understood.

Moms were _awesome_.

On the other hand, Jason knew to be pretty careful around Henry. He didn’t really relish the idea of having a friend go all fan-boy, and even if he didn’t mean it… well, his father got that all on his own. It was nice to have a little anonymity for a little while. (Jason had been getting more and more grateful for those glasses.)

But they’d met over comic books—with Superman on the cover, Jason couldn’t resist asking. And even if Henry liked the Marvel universe better than Metropolis and Gotham—heresy!—it was nice to have a friend. (Besides, that meant they could talk about X-Men and Avengers and Spiderman—what was up with that?—and he avoided the ‘Hi, I’m Jason Lane-Kent’ part.)

For now, though, they sat splitting warm, cinnamon-dusted pumpkin pie and melting vanilla ice cream—their moms would kill them, but it was totally worth it. Henry was just glad to have found a sympathetic ear, one that didn’t think he was crazy for believing in a curse. Not to mention Jason seemed to implicitly understand the kinds of risks Henry was taking—and thought they were _normal_.

Wow, that was such a good feeling.

“…got trapped in this mine. I just _knew_ something was down there, and it had to do with the curse.” Henry’s brown eyes were bright with excitement. Jason, meanwhile, was snickering. “No, really! I swear it’s true.”

“I believe you,” Jason assured him, “I pro—aw, _crud_ ,” he sighed as he tried to rub some ice cream off his sleeve, “promise I do. It’s just—getting trapped in a mine, trying to follow some crazy lead? I can see it. Hey, can I have a wet towel, please?”

As the nearest waitrat scurried off to get one, Henry all but bounced in his seat. “I know, right? You grow up thinking it’s all just adventure stories, and then they’re _real_ , and…”

He trailed off a moment, looking down at the pie to take a couple thoughtful bites. He looked up to see Jason’s inquiring look, eyes blue-grey behind glasses. “Well, it’s scarier than they make it out to be,” he finally admitted softly. “There was… a guy. The sheriff. He… died. I think it was my fault.”

Henry wasn’t quite sure why Jason looked away, and why his lips thinned a little, more pale than usual. “What happened to him?”

Hesitantly, Henry explained, “He was—Emma and I are working on trying to break the curse. It’s called Operation Cobra,” he added, and Jason returned the smile, “but… anyway, he was a really good person. And I think he was starting to break through—but he died. The Evil Queen killed him.”

This time it was Jason who thoughtfully pushed around some pie. Henry watched him, rather confused: this wasn’t the video-game face, the smiling-at-something-without-explaining-why face, or the determined-to-win-that-game-of-Risk face, the cracking-up-helplessly face, or the let’s-get-into-trouble face. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said finally. “I’ve had a pretty good record of knowing if people are okay, and you are. So if you’re right, and she’s evil, this wasn’t you. I know it… feels like that.”

Henry glanced towards the Window, guiltily. “I-it’s not—see, he was starting to remember. Who he was—he was the Huntsman, the one who didn’t kill Snow White.” At Jason’s encouraging nod, he continued with a little more confidence. “He came, asked me about it. I think… I think he told her he knew. And she killed him.”

When he was met with only silence, Henry risked a glance in Jason’s direction. The boy looked thoughtful. “You didn’t ask him to find out, right? Or to go to the queen?”

Henry shook his head.

“Then…” Jason sighs. “It was her fault, and I want to go kick her butt for it. Only if she’s really got magic it might not go so well, and then Mom would kick _my_ butt and my father would ground me for the rest of my life.”

Henry wrinkled his nose. “I dunno how good her magic is in the real world, but she _is_ the Evil Queen. She can probably still do some pretty scary things. I mean, she killed Sheriff Graham.”

He was surprised to see how Jason’s face darkened a little, just for a moment, before he shook himself out of it. After glancing down for a bite of pie, he peered at Henry over the rims of his glasses—it was funny, Henry thought, how much more blue his eyes looked that way. A little weird, actually. “You know what I think?”

Henry shook his head.

“You and Emma, you’re breaking the curse, just a little. When you really get what you are? That’s huge. It makes you happy. I bet he was, too. It’s not your fault the Evil Queen is… well, evil, and doesn’t want anyone to be happy. And I bet he’d want you to keep making people happy and stop her.”

“You think?”

 “Sure. I mean, he was the sheriff, right? Stop the supervillain.”

Henry thoughtfully picked up ‘Wolverine vs. Hulk.’ “Maybe. But it isn’t like in comics.”

“No.” Jason wrinkled his nose with distaste. “There’d be a heck of a lot more explosions, buildings falling, people dying or in the hospital, high-tech weapons, and fighting if you were in a comic book. Tell you what, though,” he added more cheerfully, “maybe when you’ve got things figured out more at your home, I’ll take you to visit _mine_.”

Brightening, Henry beamed at his friend. “Really? How’ll you explain that?”

Dismissively, “Mom comes here too, and my father’s seen a lot weirder. A _lot_. So have a lot of his friends—and the rest… eh, we’ll tell them you’re my cousin.”

Henry blinked.

“I mean, look at us. Both got sort of dark hair, we like the same shirts,” he waved at his red plaid, Henry’s blue plaid, “we can say you’re from Maine, and my father doesn’t have much family, so they’ll just believe it when we say it’s cousins we haven’t met but you wanted to see the city for a summer or something.”

“You think it’ll work?”

Smirking, Jason tried very hard to look enigmatic before breaking down into giggles. “ _Trust me_. C’mon, let’s go play some more Smash Bros.”

And no matter how many times Henry tried dares or bets, he never did get that explanation.


End file.
